Strength and Wit
by The Dusktaker
Summary: Sebastian Moran is trying to escape from his control freak mother. Jim Moriarty is trying to escape from his abusive father with his sister. They find a friend in each other, and will eventually become the most feared men in the world, beginning with the death of a boy named Carl Powers.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One-No Matter What, You Must Survive**

It was all Sebastian could do to survive. He'd been on the run for over a month from his control freak of a mother, who had all her dead husband's money to track down her 'darling' boy.

He curled up in the alley, pulling his cheap rain poncho over himself. Even though Sebastian was dry, it was freezing.

Tonight was going to be a long night.

James pushed his sister under the table as his drunken father staggered towards them. "Stay hidden." He whispered to Ella. She nodded and disappeared, her small body almost swallowed by the night.

"Where is she?" His father asked Jim, sounding perfectly sane. "Where's your mother?"

"She isn't here right now, dad, she's gone out to be with her friends." It was an utter lie, of course. Alicia Moriarty had died five years ago of cancer. However, if tonight was a good night, his father would simply go to bed...

"LIAR!" The fist made contact with Jim's stomach, and the air whooshed out of him. Eight year old Ella stayed hidden.

Even she could tell tonight was not a good night.

Sebastian watched as a small girl, followed by a boy about his age, slipped into the alleyway.

The girl was crying, and the boy was trying to soothe her. "He's never hit me before." The girl whispered.

"It's going to be alright Ella. We'll hide out here tonight, and go back for our school things in the morning."

"Okay Jim."

They kept walking towards Sebastian. He gripped his knife, and stepped out of the shadows. "Who are you?" he spoke threateningly.

The boy, Jim, gripped the small girl's shoulders, ready to run. The girl however, was much friendlier. "I'm Ella. And this is my brother Jim. We..."

"That's enough, Ella. It's obvious we're not welcome here." Jim was ready to sprint away, carrying Ella if he needed to.

Sebastian shook his head. "Stay here. It's obvious you've not been sent by my mother."

Jim watched Sebastian closely, but when he didn't make a move, came closer. Sebastian could see that the strange boy was nervous.

"I'm Ella Moriarty." Ella said again. "And you are?"

"Sebastian."

"Last name?" Jim's voice was full of danger. Sebastian might have been almost a foot taller than this boy, but Sebastian could guess that Jim was just as deadly as he could be.

"I'm not giving it to you. Too likely I'll be found."

"You're Sebastian Moran, aren't you? The one everyone's been looking for."

"How did you know?"

"Saw your photo on the telly." Jim sat down, spreading out a waterproof sleeping bag. Ella crawled into it, and curled up. Sebastian watched, trying to decide if he should run.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to report you." Jim sighed. "Probably won't even see you again after tonight. Ella and I hope we won't be back here tomorrow."

A small snore came from the sleeping bag. Ella was already asleep. Jim examined her black eye.

"I'll have to give her teacher a pretty good excuse tomorrow. She already called child services once. I can't have her doing it again." Jim thought.

"Family troubles?"

"Drunk father. Trying to cope with the fact my mother died, leaving him almost no money and two kids."

Sebastian nodded. "I won't interfere with your life as long as you don't interfere with mine."

Jim watched him for a second, and then offered his hand. "Jim Moriarty."

"Sebastian Moran."

When Sebastian woke in the morning, the two were gone.

Jim waited for his father to come home. He was dreading what might happen when he admitted what he'd done.

Every drop of alcohol had gone down the drain.

Jim and Ella both took after their mother, with small bodies, dark eyes, and hair the colour of raven's wings. Jim father was practically a mammoth that walked on two legs. It was hard to believe they shared any genetic material.

Jim was positive they didn't.

The door opened, and his father came in beaming. "I bought a present for my Jim Boy! Happy birthday!"

Jim didn't mention that his birthday had been two months ago. He opened the package and found a handgun.

_Lucky me. I'll be able to get shot after he finds out. Guess it's quicker than him bludgeoning me to death with his fists._

"I bought a drink to celebrate your seventeenth."

_Eighteenth. _

Well, he wasn't going to die tonight. He waited until his father had passed out to go fetch Ella from her friend's house.

Once she was asleep, he headed towards the alleyway. He prayed Sebastian Moran was still there.

Sebastian had just returned from an excursion, hoping to find food somewhere. He had stolen from small farms when no one was around on his walk here, but in the city, finding a quiet spot to steal from was practically impossible.

He turned the corner and saw a figure going through his pack. "OI!"

The figure stood. "Good, you're here. I wanted to give you something."

Sebastian looked at the handgun. "Are you sure?"

"If I have it, he can get it. He's going to be angry when he finds out what I've done, so I might as well keep it away from the house."

Sebastian stared at it. He'd never been allowed to even look at his father's gun collection before. Jim had explained how it worked, and Sebastian just hoped a nineteen year old buying bullets would go unnoticed.

Practically impossible now that his mother had his face on a new screen every time he turned around and that he was almost out of money.

Jim smiled, and Sebastian could see danger under that. "Good luck, Sebby."

Sebastian barely registered the nickname as he stared at the weapon. A random boy, who could have used it to shoot his father, had given it to him.

A story behind his weapon.

He prayed to whatever greater being there was that he would never have to use it.

James dropped Ella off with a note about her new set of bruises. He knew that they would have to leave soon. He'd hoped that he could keep his father's attention for a few more years, but Ella was growing up too fast.

Without their father, they'd be on the streets, unless James found a way to pay for their college education and a place to live. But what kind of qualifications did an eighteen year old that stayed in high school even though he could have graduated three years ago, have?

None.

He stopped to watch the football team warming up. Powers, who seemed to be on every sports team known to man, and captained them all, shouted at the team.

Jim smiled. He liked it when he could see Carl and all his cronies. It meant that he wasn't about to be set on top of a locker or beat up or whatever fresh hell Powers had thought up.

The ball went under the bleachers, and Powers sent the unlucky man to go fetch it.

There was a surprised shout, and then Jim heard the boy yell at the team. "It's Moran! We'll be rich..."

Jim heard the loud bang, and watched Sebastian streak away. The boy sent after the ball wasn't hurt at all, just surprised.

Powers started chasing after Moran, hoping to claim the cash reward for finding him.

Jim followed, but if there was one thing Jim prided himself on, it was knowing routes no one else used, and running faster than _Carl fucking Powers_.

The night before, Seb had managed to escape from two men and ended up curled up under a set of bleachers.

His rain poncho was ripped, but still offered some protection against the rain and wind, so he had used it as a blanket.

Now everything but his gun was gone. He was stuck with nothing. Even his money he'd kept in his bag.

"Didn't fancy I'd see you again, Sebastian."

Sebastian looked up and glared. "Are you following me?"

"I don't think so. You showed up at _my _school after all."

"Ahh. I guess that explains why you're here." Seb shrugged, and then rubbed his shoulder, which was throbbing. He lifted his hand away, and stared at the crimson streak. "Great. I clipped myself the first time I fired my weapon."

Jim came over, examining the wound. "I've got a first aid kit at my house. My dad's at work, so I can patch you up there if you'd like."

Seb doubted he'd survive unless he accepted this boy's help. He hadn't been properly clean in weeks, and infection would be more deadly than the wound it's self.

"That would be appreciated."

Seb hissed at the stitches. "_God damn it, the bloody hurts!_"

"Want to sew it up yourself? I assure you, it's not fun."

Sebastian resorted to much quieter, somewhat fouler profanity after that.

He didn't remember when he'd fallen asleep, but Sebastian woke up in a darkly painted room. He was on a thick pad on the floor, covered in blankets.

He saw Ella, and remembered where he was. He opened his mouth to speak, but she put her finger against his lips and pointed at the door.

There was a loud crash, and shouting.

"WHERE HAVE YOU HIDDEN IT?!"

"I threw it out."

A small scream of pain.

"YOU LITTLE BASTARD! WHERE IS SHE?"

"Nowhere."

A sickening crack.

Finally, there were footsteps, and Jim stumbled into the room, holding his ribcage with a bleeding hand.

Ella pulled out the first aid kit, and handed it to Seb. "I...I can't really do much, and he'll need help sewing himself up. Can you?"

Seb nodded. "Get me a wet rag."

He guided Jim, who was trying to refuse help, to the bed. Ella returned with the rag and a bowl of clean water. Seb realized how much of a routine this must be when he pushed up Jim's sleeves and saw tiny stitch marks up his arms.

Jim finally accepted help for the stitches, and Seb, under Jim's watchful eye, did his best. When he was done, he reached a hand out to feel Jim's ribs.

"What are you doing?"

"Hoping your ribs are just bruised, and not cracked." He gingerly felt along, and suddenly Jim hissed in pain.

Seb very carefully put a little more pressure of the spot. Jim clenched his teeth and a moan escaped his lips.

"Crap. I'd bet money it's broken." Sebastian shook his head.

Ella yawned. "I'm going to bed, Jim. You'll be here when I wake up?" Her eyes showed that she knew more than she should, but at the same time had no idea what was going on.

"Yeah, I'll be here Ella. Don't worry." Jim kissed the top of her head, and she went off to bed.

"I can't really do much. I'll not a doctor." Seb sighed, but Jim smiled.

"Thanks for what you did." Jim leaned back against his pillow, and then sighed. "I guess that you've repaided me for the earlier favour."

"Yeah, well, I guess we'll both be crashing here tonight." Seb fell onto the pad, and was asleep almost instantly.

Jim watched Sebastian's breathing until he fell asleep.

Sebastian woke up to find Ella watching him. He jumped, and then stopped; his left arm and shoulder feeling like a hot iron had been left on them.

"Can you walk me to school? Jim's still asleep, and I don't like to wake him when he's this hurt."

Seb stood up, stretching. "Do you have anything I could cover my face with? A hat or something?"

"I doubt this is adequate." Seb sighed. In the borrowed jacket and the London baseball cap, he looked like a cheapskate tourist.

"Hmm?" Ella looked at him.

"Never mind. Can you cross the last crosswalk by yourself?"

"Yeah. Thanks Seb." Ella smiled, skipping away to join the throng of children.

Seb turned around and almost ran back to Jim's house.

Jim was up when he got back. "Ella made it to school okay?"

"Yes."

"Can you bring me a phone? I need to acknowledge my owed absence so they don't call my dad."

Seb grabbed Jim's phone, which was right across from him, but he didn't say anything. If Jim was going to hide him, he'd hand him all sorts of stuff even when Jim could get it himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two-Plans Mean The Difference Between Survival And Death**

A week passed, and Seb was happy for a while. His mother had yet to find him. He walked Ella to school the back way Jim had always used. He helped Jim out, while Jim protested needing any help. However, every time Jim so much as bent the wrong way, pain shot up his side.

Seb was glad to help. He got paid in food and a hiding place. Even when it wasn't enough, it was better to go to bed with some food in your stomach instead of none.

Jim selflessly always made sure Ella had enough to eat. He even would take food off his own plate, saying he wasn't hungry. Seb started doing the same so that Jim would actually eat now and then.

However, one day, as Seb was hiding in Jim's room, the front door flew open. Jim darted upstairs. "Hide quickly. He's in a temper, and if he finds you..."

Seb was already opening one of the doors and hiding himself.

Jim watched his father's shadow fall across the base of the door. He swallowed his fear.

The door opened. "Who are you hiding, James?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm sure you do." His father's voice was like ice. Jim could do that voice too, but not now. "Ella's at school, but I heard you talking to someone. Who is it?"

"I was talking to myself."

"Yeah. Don't mind if I check in here?"

"No." Jim replied. "Feel free."

When his father found nothing, he returned, and leaned down, his face right in Jim's. "If I find anything at all, I will skin that person alive. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Finally, his father went back to work. "Okay, Seb. He's gone now. You can come out."

A shuffling noise and Seb opened the door to the closet. "Where was he looking?"

"He went into my bathroom. Didn't bother to check the closet. We're going to have to leave soon. I can take care of Ella."

"What are you going to do?"

"Plan B."

"Plan B?"

"Just a way to get out of here. I've had it set up for years. You can come with us to as long as you don't mind a criminal line of work."

Seb thought. A few months ago, he would have refused, but he'd shot that weapon once, aiming to kill.

_I'm not my mother's darling boy anymore. I've stolen money and food, and was ready to kill someone to save myself._

"I'll do whatever you need me to do."

Jim laughed. "You make it sound like I'm the boss."

Sebastian laughed. "I'll do it, Boss."

"Alright Sebby."

"Don't call me that." Seb shivered, thinking of his mother.

"What should I call you then? Plain old Seb, and even Sebastian are getting boring."

"Call me Tiger then, if you must." Sebastian leaned back against the wall.

Jim turned to a picture. "I need to leave a calling card if Plan B's to work." He looked at the faces. "Powers will work."

Plan B, if you haven't already guessed, was an emergency plan Jim had worked out years before. It was a plan where Jim used his mind to become a criminal mastermind. He had to put his foot in the door first though, thus the leaving a 'calling card'.

He cornered a "friend" the next day at school. "Hello Richard. Or should I call you Tony?"

Tony glared at Jim. "What do you want?"

"Meet me at the field. I have a job for you."

Tony stood in the field, shivering. "What? What is it?"

Jim smiled. "I need you to take a message to the important people of your profession."

"What's the message?"

"At the swim meet this Saturday, Carl Powers will suffer a seizure and drown. It will be written off as an accident." Jim smiled. It was time to get revenge.

"But it isn't an accident, is it?"

"Oh course it's not, you idiot. You let them know that Jim Moriarty and a friend are looking for jobs. Now go."

Tony sped away, and Jim walked away, studiously avoiding places Powers was likely to be.

For three days, Jim's father hadn't come home. Jim felt a sense of foreboding. "The police will be here soon."

The swim meet went as planned. Seb came to watch, well disguised with his hair dyed black and a hoodie and baseball cap. They left as soon as they could.

At Monday, Tony showed Jim that six criminals had asked to meet him and Sebastian. One was offering an advance if Jim would sign on right away.

Jim chose the smallest of the organizations, however. Seb asked him why.

"No one ever expects the weakling to work its way to the top. I'll be on top of the gang's social order in no time, and then I'll own London after that."

"Then Europe, then the world."

"Now you get the picture." Jim laughed.

After a few poison jobs, Jim rented a new flat, and switched Ella to online school. Just in time, because a few days later, the body of his father showed up along the riverbank. James and Ella Moriarty were nowhere to be found.

Sebastian was doing sniper jobs. He'd become a rather good shot over time. He'd come back to the apartment late at night, or not until next morning.

The stitches had long since been taken out.

One night Sebastian returned to the flat to find Ella comforting Jim. He stayed hidden, listening.

"If it happens again, I don't think I'll be able to keep them at bay."

"Jim, can you close the shouting off somehow? Like a leaky faucet or something."

"No, I can't. We've been over this before. I'll spend weeks without them, and then suddenly I can't hear my own thinking."

Ella sighed. "I wish I could help, brother, but I'm only nine in three minutes."

Seb walked in at that point. "Hi. Everything alright?"

"Ella's waiting for her birthday to arrive so she can open her present." Jim rubbed her head. She reached up, trying to move his hand away and failing.

Seb put his gun away, and then returned just as midnight struck.

"I'm nine! Yayyy!"

"Happy birthday." Seb handed her a box with a blue ribbon around it. She opened it and smiled. "Cool. I love chemistry!"

Jim grinned, and then went to the closet. "Promise not to do chemistry in this?"

Ella stared at the suit. "That's for me?"

"You told me you liked suits."

"Thank you Jim." She hugged her brother, and went to try on the suit.

"I think my present was just forgotten."

"A chemistry set? Are you sure that was wise?"

"Boss, I asked you, and I don't recall you objecting very much."

"When did you ask me?"

"Yesterday."

"I wasn't here. Not in spirit at least."

"You can be a real pain in the ass at times, Boss."

"You too Tiger."

About a year later, Sebastian woke up and had to think a minute before he placed the ceiling. He jumped up, surprised as hell. Still asleep, but barely, Jim groaned at the sudden movement.

_Okay, what happened last night? Sort it out._

_Okay, Boss and I were paired together. Hit team. I was on the roof, and he was supposed to kill the leader on the ground. Mission was successful. Came back to flat together..._

Thing began to get hazy.

_Boss...Boss was kill high. I was tired, but trying to entertain him with jokes. Then...then..._

_Then Boss kissed me on the mouth. I was...surprised...but I think I liked it. _

Seb checked himself. There were a few small bruises that hadn't been there when he got back last night. He was still wearing his jeans, at least.

Jim woke up around this point. "Hiya Tiger! Have fun last night?"

"What exactly happened?"

Jim held back a chuckle. "I think it would be obvious. We weren't very subtle."

"Boss..."

"Tell me what you think."

Sebastian sighed. Jim had invented an annoying little game where Sebastian told Jim what happened, and Jim corrected him at the end.

"We came back to the flat. You were bouncing about like a child at Christmas. I was trying to make you laugh."

"You succeeded several times."

"Then we made out, and sometime during that, we managed to reach your bedroom, and crashed here for the night." Seb paused. "I'm pretty sure you _wanted something else_ that I'm not going to name, and I refused."

"Well, you have to give me credit for trying."

"Jim!"

"What?"

"You're my friend, not my lover!"

"Why can't I be both?"

"Because I'm straight!"

"And let me guess. Last night was just an accident."

"Yes."

Jim leaped up, and before Sebastian could push him away, Jim had against a wall and put his mouth to his.

Seb tried to push him away, but Jim was stronger than he looked. Seb didn't know what to do.

The Jim managed to slip his tongue into Seb's mouth, and everything else faded away. Seb didn't have words to describe what he felt. _Love, Amazement _and_ Awe _just didn't feel right.

Finally, Jim stepped back. "Still think it was an accident?"

Seb couldn't respond. He grabbed a shirt and ran out of the flat, trying to sort out what had just happened.

Ella stared at James when he came out. "What's happened?"

Jim grinned. "The shouting's gone away. I've found a way to get rid of it."

Ella smiled. "I'm glad."

Sebastian walked through the rain, getting soaked to the skin. His feelings were all over the place.

His mother had finally stopped looking for him. He was glad to let his blond hair be blonde again. But now a whole different thing had happened.

_Boss is just my friend. _

_But you liked it when he kissed you. You want him to kiss you again._

_No I don't._

_Yes you do._

The inner battle raged for several blocks, until he found a suitable place to hide. He sat down and thought.

Finally, he walked into a bookstore and spent the rest of the day reading books.

Jim watched the door open. "Hello Seb."

Seb sat down next to Jim, lost in thought. Jim watched the telly, pretending to be interested in the broadcast.

Seb hit the mute button. Jim began to object, and then Seb kissed him.

It was surprising to be the one receiving the kiss, not initiating it. He put his arms around Seb, and pulled himself closer to him. Seb responded by doing the same.

"I'm the master of terrible timing." A voice from behind spoke.

They whipped around, faces red, and stared. Ella was pretending to have spotted an intriguing spot on the floor.

"Hi Ella." Jim said cheerily. "Were you going somewhere?"

"The kitchen." She paused. "If you're going to do more of that, can you do it elsewhere? One of your rooms?"

Seb at least pretended to look ashamed. Jim just grinned like a maniac.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three- Ruling The World**

Fifteen year old Ella yawned, standing up. Last night had been interesting when she'd gotten home. They'd been on the couch, Jim asleep with his head against Sebastian's chest. Sebastian was still awake, but after this many years, Seb was no longer embarrassed.

Ella sighed. Her brother was lucky. Twenty five, happily married, and ruling the entire criminal side of life in Europe.

Yes, married to Sebastian. For two years.

Ella sighed, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Hey Ella." Jim came in, his hair everywhere. "What do you want to do for your fifteenth birthday?"

Ella took a deep breath, than blurted it out. "Iwanttogotoanormalschool."

"What? Slow down and enunciate."

"I want to go to a normal school. That is what I want for my birthday."

Jim took a deep breath. "Ella, it could be dangerous."

"It's dangerous enough that I sit around all day, Jim. I'm going mad stuck in here. I need to get out and meet people."

"People are untrustworthy."

"And so are you! How many people have you lied to in your line of work?!"

"Ella..."

"SHUT UP!"

Seb, having just come around the corner, stared. "What's going on?"

"I want..."

"Ella wants to go to school. I've told her no."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Because it's too dangerous."

"How is it any more dangerous than what we already do? She needs to get out, and who are we to stop her?"

"I hate you right now."

Ella smiled at Seb. "Thanks for the wonderful present."

"Got another two presents in the closet."

Ella smiled as she opened the closet and found two new Westwood suits in the closet made especially for her.

Seb sighed. "You know this ridiculous. If your sister spots me, she's going to hurt you."

"Then don't get spotted."

"I could hit you right now. I'm supposed to be heading to India to shot someone for you, not babysitting a fifteen year old."

"Just watch."

"She's your god damn little sister. She can take care of herself."

The phone clicked, and Seb sighed, watching Ella Moriarty enter the school.

Ella smiled as she sat in the front row. She had a place to go besides home now.

"Hello."

She looked up and smiled at a petite blond girl. "Hi. I'm Ella."

"Nice to meet you."

The girl's name was Kayla. They chatted for the rest of the day, and Kayla introduced Ella to her friends, which included a few guys too.

Ella came home and found Seb packing his rifle away.

"You're supposed to be in India."

"Ask your brother. I'm going to punch him next time I see him."

Jim walked inside and instantly Ella stood in front of him.

"You had Seb watching me today, didn't you?"

Jim turned to Seb. "Was everything alright?"

"Yes." Ella said. "Everything was fine."

"I didn't ask you."

"Yes, but you're being an ass to me, and I'm annoyed with it."

"Shut up."

"No."

The temperature dropped in the room by about ten degrees. Jim's voice went icy. Seb had never seen Jim act like this with Ella before.

"What did you just say?"

"I won't shut up until you tell me why you had Sebastian watching me from the roofs all day."

Jim snarled. "Leave me alone."

"Tell me!"

Jim back handed her so fast that neither Seb nor Ella could anticipate it. Jim stared at his hand, realizing he'd just hit his little sister.

She shoved him away from the door and ran into the night.

"Good going Boss." Sebastian said sarcastically, already packing things for Ella.

She was in the alleyway they'd met at, holding her face in her hands.

"Ella, I brought you a waterproof blanket and some food. Your handgun's in there too."

"Thanks Seb." She grabbed the pack, and then the tears came. "Why?" She whispered.

"You tried his temper. I've been in that place a few times, but it's the first time you have."

"He's just like dad if he thinks he can get away with it."

"Ella, the whole rest of the world lets him get away with it every day." Seb sighed. "I'll leave the door key in its hidden spot if you want to come back home in the middle of the night.

For the first time since she had met Sebastian, Ella slept on the streets.

Jim sat over a glass of water, rubbing his eyes. "They're back." he told Seb. "And the shouting's worse than ever."

Sebastian sighed. "I'm pretty sure Ella's going to spend the night on the streets."

"And it's all my fault." Jim shook his head. "I do everything I can not to become him, and then suddenly I do." He stared at the water. "Can't even look at a wine list without wincing."

Seb suspected that was why their wedding toast was with apple juice.

Jim was silent, and then he began to hum. That was the first clue to how bad the shouting was tonight.

"Boss..."

"HmmmmHmmmmmmmmmmhmm. What?"

"I'm going to go and wait for her."

"I need you. The shouting..."

"I'm not going to sleep with you after what just happened, so either get out there and apologize to Ella or stay alone with only the shouting for company." Seb knew it was cruel, but he was pissed.

Unable to swallow his pride, Jim was left alone for the night.

Ella woke up and stretched. She was surprised. No one had tried to kidnap her, or anything.

Then she saw an alert Sebastian standing guard and understood.

"He's still being an asshole?"

"Does he ever stop being one?"

"You bring up a valid point."

They made eye contact and broke into laughter. Finally, Ella stood up. "I guess I'd better go get my school things."

The second they got back, Ella could tell something was wrong. Then she saw him holding the bottle.

"He's a drunken bastard. Don't be surprised if I rent a hotel room tonight."

Seb nodded before leaving. He had a job to do in India after all.

Ella stayed home that day. She knew that she wasn't making herself a good student by doing this, but Jim needed her.

When he finally woke up, the first thing he did was go to the bathroom and hurl. Then he came into the kitchen.

"You promised never to drink. You've never even brought alcohol into the house before."

Jim looked up. "There's more than one way to get rid of the shouting, and one of them is to drink yourself into oblivion."

Ella shook her head, placing a bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of Jim. "Eat."

By the time Jim was done, every drop of alcohol was down the drain. Jim objected, but did so weakly. Ella ignored him, and then made him lay down.

That actually pissed him off, but in the end, Ella was in more of a position to be making threats than he was.

Ella thought while Jim lay in bed, alternating between cursing her and sleeping. Suddenly she jumped as if she'd been bitten.

_"Alicia, I can't hear myself. It's driving me up the walls."_

_"We'll get through it. The shouting can't stay around forever."_

"Jim, wake up!"

"What?!"

"I just figured out why dad drank. It wasn't that he couldn't get over mother. It was the shouting! He drank to get rid of it!"

Jim looked at her as though she'd just sprouted a tail and wings.

"You said the drinking made the noise go away. Dad must have had the same problem. When mom died, he couldn't get rid of the noise, and drank until he fell into the river five years later."

Jim's eyes lit up. "You think it's something genetic and that I got it from him?"

"Yes."

Jim sighed, but it was a sigh of relief. "I guess that it's not that I'm insane then. I guess that's good to know."

Sebastian returned three days later to find the flat full of pictures he'd never seen. All the new photos contained Jim and Ella as children. A smiling mother and father looked down on them.

"Should I ask?"

"Yes."

Ella was graduating.

Jim smiled from the stadium seats as Ella received her diploma. She was laughing with Kayla and Carlee as they handed the principal a marble for his gift. His hands were full of them.

"Guess they don't want him to lose them anytime soon."

Sebastian snorted. "If that was true, they'd have given him a bag."

As soon as it was over, Ella made her way through the crowd to Jim and Sebastian. Another graduate came with her, but not any of her friends that Jim and Seb knew.

"Jim and Sebastian, meet my friend Samuel. Samuel, this is my brother Jim and his husband Sebastian."

Samuel shook hands with them. Jim could tell just from the looks he and Ella were exchanging what was truly going on.

As soon as Samuel was gone, Jim laughed. "Sister dear, I thought you'd tell me when you got a boyfriend."

"Jim..." Ella's face was pink.

"So, being safe?"

"Jim, don't make me hurt you."

"Oh, but the fun is just beginning, sister."

Samuel was standing at the door. Ella answered luckily. She wasn't sure what would have happened if he'd walked into the house and saw Jim in his bloodstained Westwood while Sebastian cleaned his rifle.

"Can I come in?"

"Actually, I'm going out." She needed to keep Samuel away from Jim. If Jim decided he didn't like him that was the end of Samuel.

"Okay. Where are you planning to go?"

"Hey, Ella, can you go get me some mint gum? I'm running low."

"Sure Jim. I'll be back in a few hours."

"It doesn't take that long to go to the... ohhhh." Jim, dressed in the tourist clothes, as Seb had dubbed them, spotted Samuel. "Hello Sam."

"Jim, I'm going to get you gum."

"No Ella. I'd like to meet your boyfriend."

Samuel's eyes went big. They'd been trying to keep it a secret from both their families. "You told him?"

"Not intentionally. Jim's pretty good at placing things together."

"Hello, I'm still here." Jim's voice echoed into the hall.

"Come on in. Might as well get this over with."

"I like him." Jim's feet were on the table.

"Feet off the table." Ella and Seb spoke in perfect unison.

"Kind, very well mannered, trying to keep the conversation lively."

"Get your feet off the table!" Ella and Seb spoke in perfect unison again. Years of practice had gone into this.

"Only one problem."

Seb and Ella each grabbed a foot and shoved it under the table.

"Hey!"

"You were warned, and didn't listen." Ella spat.

"Well, anyhow, only one problem. I don't think Sam is the criminal type."

"It's Samuel. AND TAKE YOUR FEET OFF THE BLOODY TABLE!"


End file.
